Woolpack, Church Street, Coggeshall
Great Coggeshall pub history index
Woolpack, Coggleshall
Both Kindly donated by Colleen
24th July 1999
Built in 1450
From the June 1962 edition of "Essex Countryside" magazine, supplied by Elaine Commander.
"It became a hostelry for wool merchants of the 15th and 16th centuries. A Rev. Thomas Lowrey afterwards purchased this property in 1665, made his will on March 12, 1680, and gave his residence to his son Jeremy. This son died in 1708. It was then converted back into an inn and sold to a George Long. As early as 1708 it is in the title deeds called the Woolpack, but in documents dated 1769 and 1803 it was called the Woolpack & Punchbowl. It was probably this inn that was referred to when Joseph Bufton, who was the Coggeshall diarist of the 17th century, wrote: "On 1st May, 1693, ye soldiers set up a may pole at ye Woolpacke doore." It was here, too, that a certain Abram Emming "roasted a smalle bullock whole on the 12th February, 1678, being Shrove Tuesday." The inn's exterior was renovated in the middle 19th century, but at some later date the owners had all the beams exposed and plastered in between. Then, in about 1932, the brewers had all the plaster knocked out and left it as it is this present day. An interior wall was being renovated and certain hammering revealed that it was hollow in places (it had been boarded up by previous owners). When the boards were removed a magnificent brick fireplace was revealed. There is a fine king post in the best bedroom (under which one has to duck to cross the room)."
In 'The Romance of Essex Inns', (1963), Glyn Morgan tells us that the Woolpack is the oldest secular building in Coggeshall. The beams in the gables are over 400 years old and parts of the trussed roof even older. In 1665 the building was purchased by Thomas Lowrey, the former vicar, who had recently been "ejected from the church". It is not at that time described as an Inn, but in 1708, when Thomas's grandson, Jeremiah, sold it to a George Long of Coggeshall, the records refer to a "Common Inn known as the Woolpack and 4 Cottages." According to Mr Morgan the cottages had been on the site of what was, by 1963, the pub's car park.
Mr Morgan recounts the following story as relating to The Woolpack: "The proximity of church and inn has given rise to many a "Coggeshall story". One of these tells of two men, who feeling immensely strong at closing time, decided to move the church. Placing their jackets on the grass, they set to work, but their struggles were unavailing. Perhaps they were pushing against the wind! They decided, therefore, to push from the other side. This time they thought their efforts were more successful and were confirmed in this belief when they went to recover their jackets. They were no longer there! Evidently the church had been pushed on top of them!"
( Glyn H Morgan, "The Romance of Essex Inns", The Essex Countryside, 1963.)
Information from "The Romance of Essex Inns" supplied by Ken Harrison.
Known Residents
The following entries are in this format:
Year/Publican or other Resident/Relationship to Head and or Occupation/Age/Where Born/Source.
1665/Thomas Lowrey/Owner/../../..*
1680/Thomas Lowrey/Owner/../../..*
1708/George Long/Innkeeper/../../..*
1822/William Webb/../../../Pigot's**
1823-4/William Webb/../../../Pigot's
1828-9/Sarah Buck/../../../Pigot's
1832-3/Sarah Buck/../../../Pigot's
1839/Sarah Buck/../../../Pigot's
1840/Sarah Buck/../../../Pigot's**
1841/Sarah Buck/Victualler/50/Essex/Census***
1841/William Buck/Cabinet Maker/15/Essex/Census***
1841/Eliza Buck/Milliner/20/Essex/Census***
1841/Caroline Buck/../15/Essex/Census***
1841/Thomas ??ngle Buck/Clerk/30/Essex/Census***
1841/Martha Buck/../30/Essex/Census***
1841/Clarissa Buck/../9/Essex/Census***
1841/William Aliwa(?)/Traveller/55/../Census***
Note: Premises not named in 1841
1845/Mrs. Sarah Buck/../../../Post Office
1848/Sarah Buck/../../../White's
1851/William Buck/../../../Post Office
1851/William Buck/innkeeper and cabinet maker/27/Great Coggeshall,
Essex/Census
1851/Sarah Buck/wife/27/Great Coggeshall, Essex/Census
1851/Sarah Buck/daughter/02/Great Coggeshall, Essex/Census
1855/W. Buck/../../../Kelly's**
1862/Sampson Davis/../../../Kelly's
1867/Sampson Davis/../../../Post Office
1870/Sampson Davis/../../../Kelly's
1871/Sampson Davis/../../../Post Office
1874/Sampson Davis/../../../Kelly's
1878/Sampson Davis/../../../Kelly's
1881/Rachael Pilgrim/Innkeeper/40/Coggeshall, Essex/Census
1881/Kate Pilgrim/Daughter, Barmaid/16/Coggeshall, Essex/Census
Note: Premises not named in 1881
1890/John Moore/../../../Kelly's
1891/James Brown/Licensed Victualler/59/Bromley, Middlesex/Census
1891/Elizabeth Brown/Wife/60/Bromley, Middlesex/Census
1898/John Brown/../../../Kelly's
1899/John Brown/../../../Kelly's
1902/Henry Church/../../../Kelly's
1906/Henry Church/../../../Kelly's
1908/Henry Church/../../../Kelly's
1910/Henry Church/../../../Kelly's
1911/Henry Church/Publican, Woolpack Inn/45/Coggeshall, Essex/Census
1911/Sarah Ann Church/Wife/44/Kelvedon, Essex/Census
1911/Alfred Henry Church/Son, Apprentice Chemist/16/Kelvedon, Essex/Census
1911/Florence Church/Daughter/11/Kelvedon, Essex/Census
1911/Ellen Mary Church/Daughter/9/Kelvedon, Essex/Census
1912/Henry Church/../../../Kelly's
1914/Frederick Bellinger/../../../Kelly's
1917/Albert E. Tibbatts/../../../Kelly's
1922/George Bruley/../../../Kelly's
1925/Herbert James Ockey/../../../Kelly's
1929/Mrs. Maria Arnoll/../../../Kelly's
1933/Mrs. Maria Arnoll/../../../Kelly's
1937/Mrs. Maria Arnoll/Proprietress/../../Kelly's
* From
Essex Countryside magazine & The Romance of Essex Inns
** Provided
by the Pubs, Inns and Taverns Index for England, 1801-1900
*** Provided by CG
Provided by John Mead